Don Roley Character Assassin for Hatsumi/Takamatsu-den Cult Monoply

This blog is going to deal with the how Troll Bridges and backly the Racketeering behind the actions of certain online trolls and haters.

Lets start with Don Roley "King Troll" for the Bujinkan. Me and Don got our start online at about the same time. Me with Ashida Kim's Dojo Press and Don Roley publishing his Koga Ryu is Dead article. At the time Don Roley did this he made several claims about the Bujinkan and the Takamatsu-den lineage as well as, several historical text such as the Bansenshukai and similar documents trying to prove Takamatsu authentic.

Now Don is fluid in modern Japanese, lived in Japan for 15 years and used modern Japanese translations of the historical ttext in his arguments online. However, its been all shot down before... By me on Ashida Kim's old message board.

Two being an easy means of disproving the whole thing...
1. The terms Iga and Koga Ryu are historical terms for the origin of various schools. There were several schools of fighting methods, tactics and military strategy in the Iga and Koga provinces. They were all Iga or Koga Ryus. Just any martial arts school in Los Angelos or even Beckley, West Virginia is a Los Angelos school or a Beckley school of martial arts.

Citing Seiko Fujita (Americanized pronunciation) as Roley does, Fujita says ninjutsu was a family tradition. Meaning that if one studied the Hidden Leaf School of Martial Arts, one might implicate one's own life or occupation into your own tactics.

In modern Comparision so its easier to grasp, John is a Locksmith. John is drafted into service by an a local militia to protect Johns town from invaders. John learns Militia X-rays methods of warfare. John uses his Lock Smithing knowledge to stealthly pick a lock on a building the gang is using as a base and slip inside to look at the gangs plans of attack and listen to their talk about the plan.

John is a spy by modern thinking and as a spy John used his available spycraft skills of picking a lock. Johns son who is also being taught to perform the family trade of lock smithing is also taught the family spycraft of picking locks. Bill by contrast repairs electronics and Bill's spycraft is built arounding building listening devices to hear what others are saying or radio jammers to cut off communications during raids.

Militia X-ray has a set of skills and an SOP related to scouting and patrols. Both Bill and John have their own individual methods of using what they call spycraft. David is a Captain in the militia and has a Phd in Psychology so his spycraft is built around manipulation. David has an SOP for the militias Special Operations Group & suggests the SOG members learn the ways of lower ranked people.

Now replace the term spy with ninja and spycraft with ninjutsu and you get the odea behind "family styles of ninjitsu."

2. Ryu didn't codify "ninjutsu" into their schools until the Tokugawa era. This was the era of peace following the warring states period of Sengoku era. Togakure Ryu claims it was codified 400 years before said era of peace.

Once we get past that, we come to the fact that during the earily years of the Meiji era. Samurai used "ninjutsu" like methods during the Saga Rebellion. These were Kishu Ryu methods if any...

This means that Ninjutsu existed as part of most Koryu Schools at some point and that ninjutsu was not specifically limited to schools of martial arts. Nor is it as special as many seek to believe. Ot was something done in secret and a bit taboo to Japanese cultural ideas of the noble samurai.

More so, it becomes even more ridiculous when you think about a codified school of martial arts claiming to be the root of all ninjutsu, when those Koryu Schools who did codify it only did so to preserve it the skills and methods for future generations is not, as Hatsumi claims, a secret ninja martial art built around Shinto rituals and the worship of Takamatsu as a deity.

Now this brings us to a singular problem, what I just said... You can examine a free breakdown of the Bansenshukai amd read my earilier blogs on the Bujinkan cult is you so choose, for reference.

Additionally, you have to understand the nature of the word Soke and why not all Japanese Koryu arts use the title. In short it is a feudal term used by various trade guilds in Japan during the Tokugawa period upto the later Meiji era.

Ninjutsu isn't the big deal in Japan it is in America. Even then the Japanese image of the ninja is more of a warrior magician then the Western version of a spy-assassin. Though the historical reality of a soldier-spy is closer to the American image.

Now, I am sure you are going to say what does that have to do with anything. Well I have been the poster boy online for pointing out those holes in the argument by Roley. Antony Cummins (whom Don and others in the Bujin-con Cult have tried to discredit) seeking academic credibility translated the historical documents proving what ninjutsu was historically, has produced works which will substantiate these facts for many non-Japanese.

Now remember when I said about Don Roley getting his start online? That would be in 1999, same time as me and the same time he was doing everything to get the other Bujin-con cultists online attacking people for being frauds.

However this isn't new for the Bujin-con. The date for the post by Don Roley is pretty, significant since it shows he was in Japan all that time. And, I could argue that Roley's actions were permissible by the Hombu Dojo and perhaps Hatsumi himself.

I have stated many, many, times before that Don Roley's "fraud busting" was directly tied to making money but, perhaps uts not making Roley money except that he is making Hatsumi money.

How many people over the years have been harassed and stalked by Don Roley online because they were "frauds?" What is seriously funny is the "pot calling the kettle black" mentality of Don Roley's loes and personal attacks. I have mentioned Don many times in the past, showcased his unstable cult-like devotion to the Bujinkan Takamatsu cult.

I know there are 9 schools, that's 6 from a man no one can prove existed. 5 of which has a kind of incestuous link to them Togakure Ryu Ninpo is a form of Koshijutsu, is the oldest of the Nine schools and is linked to Gyokko Ryu Koshijutsu (using the same Koshijutsu methods) yet Gyokko was started in Japan in 1156 to 1159 and claims to extend back to the Tang Dynasty in China in which ended in 907. Togakure Ryu was founded in in 1161. So why is there a Soke in both lineages who was only 18th Generation in Gyokko Ryu and 24th Generation in Togakure Ryu? This gets even more alarming when looking at Koto Ryu which was begin by Toda Sakyo Isshinai during the Temon Era 1532 to 1150 who was a student of the Soke Gyokko Ryu and inherited the art from him. Gyokko being a close range style and Koto Ryu being a long range style compliment each other. But, keep them separate for so long? Why one Soke of two very different styles?

Now Togakure Ryu was founded in 1161 by Daisuke Nishian who changed his name to Daisuke Togakure. Kumogakure is supposed to be an Togakure Ryu founded in 1532 to 1550 of the. Teman Era by Iga Hainaizen Ienaga.

Gyokushin Ryu another Ninpo school has no date for when ot was founded but has something in common to all four other schools. They were all passed to Toda Seiryu Nobutsuna in from 1624 to 1644. Koto Ryu which has had the same Soke since the founding of Koto Ryu with Gyokko Ryu, though Gyokko Ryu claims further or is said to, is 9 generations removed. More so why are they so different if Koto Ryu draws from Gyokko Ryu?

On seperate but also conflicting nature, Koto Ryu became the basis for Togakure Ryu Taijutsu. This could not have happened until 1624 to 1644 when Toda Seiryu inherited the five schools. Yet, why did Togakure Ryu merge part of the teachings for Koto Ryu, taught along side Gyokko Ryu to the shared Soke of both Ryu and not the other schools? Having learned Gyokushin Ryu Ninpo from a third line of transmission(?).

Now Takamatsu did have legitimate claims to teach Shinden Ryu and Takagi Yoshin Ryu. Gikan Ryu is debatable since he didn't start claiming to know it until the Ninpo/Ninjutsu claims popped up. Takamatsu then copied the Kukishin Ryu denshi and presented his imbellished copies to the Kuki family before making up a story about the Kuki shrine being burned by US firebombing flights and proclaiming himself Soke of Kukishinden Ryu a sibling art to the Kuki families Kukishin Ryu.

Takamatsu was a licensed teacher of Kukishin Ryu and Takagi Yoshin Ryu arts.

Regardless Takamatsu was an established fraud having stolen the Kuki family legacy to enhance his status by naming himself Soke of Kukishinden Ryu, saying he was chosen to replace the offical Soke inheritor because they thought he was dead and using the copies of the Kuki family scrolls as evidence of his status of Soke of the Kuki family's traditions and teachings. Before inventing the Ninja Lineage with Hatsumi and using modern translations of historical documents (many made available by Fujita Seiko's 1930s research) to claim to have authentic ninjutsu in the 1960s.

So it is very easy to see where the Bujinkan motivations are at, make money selling people on the idea of a long lost ninja legacy and all the fraud busting is just hiding their own lies and fraudulent claims. Six supposedly, Koryu traditions with Densho written by Takamatsu and five with  list of shared Soke before coming to Toda Shinryuken who picks up a sixth art in Shinden Fudo Ryu. Shinden Fudo Ryu being a form of Jujutsu with a long and strong lineage but sharing no connection to the Shinden Fudo Ryu claimed by the Bujinkan except to say that they are the same as Izumo Kanja Yoshiteru founded both schools. However this does not stack up to independent research.

Nor do Hatsummi's Densho match the Densho published by the "other" Shinden Fudo Ryu. Thus making it appear that Takamatsu used the name of an art already in existence with a strong lineage to try to justify the five incestuous Ryu. A basic claim by the Bujin-con cultists is, to claim that because Shinden Fudo Ryu can be proven a real and established ryu (in someone else's lineage) it is a legitimate school and offers proof that Toda Shinryuken was a real person and that other five ryu are legitimate schools.

No, it really doesn't. First you have to prove that the Shin Fudo Ryu you are claiming has a real lineage and ties to the Shinden Fudo Ryu that is proven prior to Takamatsu or Toda Shinryuken. Then you must prove that Toda Shinryuken existed to proven it was even passed down to Takamatsu. No such evidence exists... Its a bit like printing off a certificate that says you graduated BUD/S (Basic Underwater Demolitions/SEAL School), we all know BUD/S is real and that it is a proven historical school for elite navy operators. You just can't prove its connected to you outside of the certificate you printed up... Same issue but, I digress.


Once you understand the issues the Bujinkan is trying to hide you understand the financial gain of people like Don Roley in trying to silence me. And you see Don usually makes a good show of issuing online challenges and spinning however he wants to make people look bad and harass them into silence. So Roley will never come at me in dark alley and he wouldn't even meet me on neutral ground. And Roley doesn't publish were he teaches at for fear that someone might come to his school and well, without cameras it would be fun. I don't know where Don Roley teaches at; I know where he lives, Don Roley's middle name is James and he is 49. And, little image above about Don Roley saying he was in Japan when he started his whole fraud busting game back in 1999 basically comes down to this. We can assume that Hatsumi is involved or was aware of and that Don Roley is carrying out his activities in an illegal attempt to define Hatsumi as a true Soke.

A Soke is the head of a trade guild in pre Meiji Japan, under the Soke or Iemoto system a family functioned like a corporate entity. The Family trade was licensed and no one could practice the family trade; poetry, blacksmithing, pottery or whatever... without licensing from the family who dominated the trade. After the Sengoku era, the Tokugawa era of peace, brought with it many new schools of martial arts and many martial arts, due to the castes becoming locked, having been used by various Samurai families in certain areas adopted the Iemoto or Soke system. Meaning only the Soke or head of the family would have full transmission. Under the Iemoto system, one could not practice pottery or blacksmithing without paying the family who has Soke dominance over a particular trade.

So it is quite clear that the Bujinkan cultists are seeking to use the internet fraud busting to create a ninja monopoly. This is especially interesting because as I pointed out, Hatsumi is a fraud who draws his lineage from a well known fraud and who's only attempt at any true status of being a Soke is to implement the Iemoto system under the guise of claiming legitimate authority through fraudulent means...

 

I mean doesn't the Bujinkan claim that only the Takamatsu-den lineage is real? Don't they attack even Kawakami's claims to Koga Ban Ryu Ninjutsu? Don't they tell you to be a legitimate ninjutsu practice you have to study Bujinkan arts? Wasn't the Historical fact of the ninjutsu recently revealed closer to the fantasy of ninjutsu taught by so called frauds like Ashida Kim, Frank Dux and myself?

 

Ever wonder why my Ninjutsu taught making smoke bombs and herbal medicine, even when it was a small red pamphlet named Black Dragon Ninjitsu? Ever wonder why Ashida Kim split many of his books into categories like Kata Dante, Submission Holds and Ninjitsu or why Ashida Kim spoke of Espionage as a Weapon, yet was dismissed as being unhistorical? Compared to Hatsumi's claim that Ninjutsu evolved from the mystic practices of the Yamabushi called Shugendo (The Path to Achieving Spiritual Power) and claims of esoteric secrets of the universe? Ever think this copyright on the secrets of the universe is cult-like in its devotion and principles?

Simply read Mind of the Ninja and you will see the cult-like religious worship of Takamatsu and Hatsumi in the belief of magical powers.

Don't worry I will review this book soon, I just have to buy a new copy because it is complete Bull Shit where I am concerned.

 

Ninjutsu: The Selling of a Warrior Fantasy...

Now I have apologized to a friend about being a dick when it comes to calling out his Martial Art as a modern creation of Takamatsu but I feel the way I feel regardless. Of course the reality is only two of the nine schools exist outside of the claims of Takamatsu. Takagi Yoshin Ryu which Takamatsu was named Soke of and, Kukishinden Ryu which is a splinter school of Kukishin Ryu started by Takamatsu who only held a Menkyo Kaiden (a master teaching license) which means one ha gained a total transmission of the art. So if you know me, I don't dispute that Takamatsu was capable martial artist, I doubt his claims to ninjutsu... as well as his many other claims to martial arts lineage.

In the Tenchijin Ryaku No Maki (Book of Heaven, Earth and Man Strategy) later republished as Togakure Ryu Ninpo Taijutsu by the American Bujinkan Dojo has a section entitled Shinden Gokui in which Hatsumi talks about learning and understanding martial arts, he refers to art with a vague term of " this Ryu" but doesn't specify which of the nine. Now at the time of Tenchijin Ryaku No Maki publishing (1964) Hatsumi refered to his art not as Bujinkan Budo Taijutsu but as Togakure Ryu Ninpo Taijutsu. This is important because only Togakure Ryu is mentioned in the Bugei Ryuha Daijiten of the nine schools. However, Hatsumi in the Shinden Gokui chapter says that according to Takamatsu "It was against the previous master of this ryu to put the ryu to pen and paper."

In good Bujinkan tradition they go back and change things in an attempt to alter history and claims. However, the Jigoku Dojo does include a version of the Shinden Gokui found in the Tenchijin Ryaku No Maki which states very plainly...

"On the occasion of publishing this book, I introduce for your information the part of the book which Takamatsu Sensei had taught me. As a rule of this Ryu, writing down is forbidden."

You can find the whole article at http://www.jigokudojo.org/shinden.htm and a screen shot above, at a later date I will include images of the Tenchijin Ryaku No Maki text in the original Japanese and the American Bujinkan Dojo's English translation. But it is clear that before Takamatsu compiled the Togakure Ryu Densho no documentation of the Ryu existed.

So the Densho originate with Takamatsu, no record exists before Takamatsu and unless one wishes to say Hatsumi is mistaken or a lying no densho will ever be produced. More importantly, of the Nine Schools three were merged into Togakure Ryu Ninpo Taijutsu prior to Takamatsu, if one believes Takamatsu's lineage, meaning that Koto Ryu, Gyokko Ryu & Togakure Ryu are all one art from 3 different roots. So from the Akban Wiki at http://www.akban.org/wiki/Gyokko_Ryu as "Myth describes Cho Gyokko as the teacher who brought the school to Japan from China during the Tang dynasty. It was handed down from generation to generation. Sakagami Taro Kunishige organized Gyokko Ryū shitojutsu; in the Tenmon period (1532 - 1550), he taught it to Toda Sakyo Isshinsai who created Gyokko Ryū kosshijutsu. Its sister school is the Koto Ryū, also created by Toda. Both Gyokko Ryū and the aforementioned Koto Ryū were taught by Toda to Momochi Sandayu, who carried on the traditions within Iga Ryū until the late Tokugawa period (mid (19th Century). Techniques from Gyokko Ryū and Koto Ryū became the foundation for techniques of Togakure Ryū."

Using a different source of information from the Jinenkan Ottawa Dojo at http://www.jinenkan-ottawa.com/kotoryu.html Paragraph 4, which states a little more clearly "Within the Jinenkan, the accepted history of Koto Ryu acknowledges Toda Sakyo Isshinsai as the founder: he received the traditions of both Gyokko-Ryu Shito-jutsu and Koto-Ryu Koppojutsu in the Tenmon period (1532-1550). Though the Shitojutsu apparently already existed, it is unclear to what level the Koppojutsu was organized, formalized, or even named. However it seems that Toda passed them to Momochi Sandayu as Gyokko-Ryu Kosshijutsu and Koto-Ryu Koppojutsu; this suggests that as he had received them as separate traditions, he saw value in keeping them distinct from each other, as opposed to amalgamating them. Through Momochi the traditions were maintained by the Iga Ryu; at the end of the Tokugawa shogunate (1870s) they reached Toda Shinryu-ken, and entered the Togakure Ryu."

And I will reference a third source, the Adelaide Bujinkan Ninjitsu Dojo at http://www.ninjutsu.com.au/ryu-ha which states this about the three ryu-ha Koto Ryu, Gyokko Ryu and Togakure Ryu:

Gyokko Ryu: "Kosshijutsu means "to knock down the enemy with one finger". Koshi could also mean "Backbone", as if the Kosshijutsu is the backbone of martial arts. Togakure Ryu Ninpo Taijutsu, is a distant branch of the Gyokko Ryu Kosshijutsu."

Togakure Ryu: "The oldest of the nine traditions, the techniques and skills of the Togakure Ryu form much of the basis for the Ninjutsu techniques taught in the Bujinkan.
The Togakure Ryu Ninja were required to master 18 forms of Bujutsu (Martial arts) including various punching, throwing and levering techniques making up taijutsu (unarmed combat) along with the arts of Kenpo (swordsmanship), Yari (spear), Naginata (halberd), Bojutsu (staff fighting), and three school secrets, named Sanpo Hiden, which are Shuko (hand claws), Senban Shuriken (throwing daggers), and Shinodake (bamboo tube for breathing under water).
QUOTES FROM THE TOGAKURE RYU
“To Hide is the Defence”
 ”Violence is to be avoided, and Ninpo is Bujutsu”

Koto Ryu: "The name 'Koto Ryu' (Tiger knocking down) means, to knock down the Tiger (opponent) with the tips of the fingers.
The basic movements in the Koto Ryu, include large exaggerated blocking movements. As you progress through the levels, these movements are reduced, according to your skill. The Kihon movement is the same as the kata 'Ichimonji no kamae', from the Gyokko Ryu Ki Gata (Moto gata). The Koto Ryu has an emphasis on using the opponent’s bone structure and skeleton to defeat him."

So the same man created two different Ryu and merged them with a third Ryu or passed them on to a third to be merged with a third Ryu. Certainly Koto Ryu & Gyokko Ryu have similar techniquesand share same movement forms. The problem is no Densho for these schools existed prior to Takamatsu. Ah but wait, according to Adelaide Bujinkan Ninjutsu Dojo, Gyokushin Ryu & Kumogakure Ryu were also blended into Togakure Ryu prior to it being passed down to Takamatsu.

Gyokushin Ryu: "The Gyokushin Ryu was taught in the Kishu, and Takeda Fiefs. This possibly happened in the 1600's, and it was then that it came into contact with the Togakure Ryu. It is not known in the west as to what the fighting techniques of the Gyokushin Ryu are except that it uses Sutemi (sacrifice) throws."


Kumogakure Ryu: "The third of the ninja ryus, it uses similar taijutsu as Togakure Ryu, and is also known for double blocks and strikes. The taijutsu of this school is very similar to the taijutsu of Togakure ryu. The main differences are that in Kumogakure ryu jumps as well as multiple blockings are used."

So this inspires me to research Gyokushin & Kumogakure Ryu more in depth, what found when seraching for Gyokushin Ryu was Budotaijutsu.com and this statement "It is believed that Gyokushin Ryu's founder Sasaki Goemon was originally from the Gyokko Ryu or that the techniques of the Gyokushin Ryu were based on the Gyokko Ryu." and includes this quote "It is a faction of kosshijutsu and was founded by Sasaki Orouemon Akiyari" from Hiden Ninja Submission by Hatsumi. Furthermore, BudoTaijutsu.com says this about Kumogakure Ryu "It has been said that this ryu was really created by the Toda family, in the 1600's as a Ninjutsu school of thought, centering its techniques on the non-violent side of Ninjutsu. The Togakure Ryu teaches that violence is to be avoided. This would also explain why the school's taijutsu is similar to the Togakure Ryu, as the Toda were also Sokes of the Togakure Ryu."
Gyokushin Ryu can be found  at: http://www.budotaijutsu.com/gyokushin.html

Kumogakure Ryu can be found at: http://www.budotaijutsu.com/kumogakure.html

What we find is the claim of a very long lineage going back to a series of interconnected Ryuha that remained somehow independent of each other. These claims raises the questions of how and why? What is more interesting is that Takamatsu claimed they were all graphed and apart of Togakure Ryu. How are they apart of Togakure Ryu and somehow not part of Togakure Ryu?

Now I will not claim to know the answers to these questions, I do not... however, it is at all impossible for anyone to apply the standard used by the Bujinkan to attack other ninjutsu schools and say "no proof" is "proof" of fraudulent claims. This means that these schools are the product of Takamatsu's own mind, in an attempt to make his claims seem legitimate he invented a very detailed mythology for a lineage. At this point we find not three ryuha in one but five in one. This of course caused me to examine the other Ryuha but I will deal with them later, this will do for now.

What we find is a long and intricate history all connecting the teaching of Takamatsu with various points in the Japanese History. What interesting is that certain claims about Takamatsu are unproven and seem to be direct competition with the other Ninja of Modern Japan Fujita Seiko. Claims such as having instructed at Nakano and having been a spy while in China. Since very little documentation of Toda Shinryuken exist and previous editions of the Bugei Ryuha Daijiten states Takamatsu used fictional characters in his lineage and placed Toda's death before his birth one might look on things with a sense of scientism.

In fact, I will have to address those other ryuha now, Takagi Yoshin Ryu, Gikan Ryu, Shinden Fudo Ryu and, Kukishinden Ryu.

Takagi Yoshin Ryu, practiced by the Bujinkan Takamatsu-den is different from an older art of Hontai Yoshin Takagi Ryu which had a close association to Kukishin Ryu. According to the Hontai Yosin Ryu homepage at http://www.hontaiyoshinryu.com/ Hontai Yoshin Ryu and Takagi Yoshin Ryu have the same founder Takagi Oriemon Sigetoshi, and the Hontai Yoshin Ryu is very limited in the information they give on their art but comparing it with lineage stated on the ninjutsu.com site at http://www.ninjutsu.com/takagiyoshinryu.shtml the lineage seems to diverge at Hontai Yoshin Ryu's 12th Master and  Takagi Yoshin Ryu's 13th Soke Yagi Ikugoro Hisayoshi. Why one of these schools lists the same man as the 12th Soke and the other as the 13th Soke is interesting in itself. However, Hontai Yoshin Ryu lineage notes that under the fourth Soke Okuni Kihei Shigenobu (same as Takagi Yoshin Ryu) the Hontai Yoshin Ryu Takagi Ryu was taught in association with Kukishin Ryu. This is o reinforced at Koryu.com (http://www.koryu.com/library/gbuyens1.html). This suggests that Fujita Fujigoro Hisayoshi either split of from Yagi Ikugoro Hisayoshi lineage and started his own school or Takamatsu learned elements of Honati Yoshin Ryu Takagi Ryu as elements were adopted by Kukishin Ryu & made a lineage for Takagi Yoshin Ryu. To be quite honest it is just as likely that someone who  studied a branch of this lineage in close association with the Kuki family taught this art to Takamatsu.

Gikan Ryu from ninjutsu.com (http://www.ninjutsu.com/gikanryu.shtml) says "The Makimono scrolls of Gikan Ryu have sections on the kata names, history, secret striking points (kyusho), and strategies used by the ryu, but research revealed that the makimono, when referring to techniques, only mention the names, and do not contain the step by step instructions as do some makimono. This was done in order to keep the teachings of the school secret in case the scrolls were stolen. From what we understand there are no densho in the Gikan Ryu. The whole range of kata for the ryu was taught orally." However, an unlisted fact is that Takamatsu's teacher Ishitani Matsutaro Takekage was a Security Guard in the match factory owned by Takamatsu's grandfather. Takamatsu did not mention Gikan Ryu or Ishitani until after Ishitani's death. Certainly the Gikan Ryu Makimono lacking any description of techniques is questionable?

Shinden Fudo Ryu is an interesting subject as it lists Izumo Kanja Yoshitero as it's second Soke it's founder is unknown, Izumo Kanja Yoshitero is also the founder of Kukishin Ryu. However, and interestingly so, Terajima Kunichiro (who is not part of the Bujinkan lineage for Shinden Fudo Ryu) taught E. W. Barton-Wright in Jujutsu and Mr. Barton-Wrights articles on self-defense prompted a Mr. Herman ten Kate (1858-1931) to write an article in a Dutch magazine De Gids in 1905. This information is found at http://www.bartitsu.org/index.php/tag/shinden-fudo-ryu/ and what makes it interesting is that this school exists outside the Bujinkan lineage. So following the 1905 article we know that Mr. Barton-Wright and Mr. Kate studied Shinden Fudo Ryu in Japan circa 1896.

Interestingly enough, Shinden Fudo Ryu was a popular school in Japan, the Bartonitsu site even notes that the Shinden Fudo Ryu studied is separate from the Shinden Fudo Ryu associated with the Bujinkan. According to the book The Secrets of Shin Den Fudo Ryu which includes many pictures of the Densho written by Izumo Kanja Yoshitero, this lineage is separate from the Lineage claimed by the Bujinkan. The Article Legends of Karate: Mabuni Kenwa (Found here: http://www.karatebyjesse.com/legends-of-karate-mabuni-kenwa-and-his-shito-ryu-pt-2/) refers to Mabuni Kenwa as the Soke of Shinden Fudo Ryu Kenpo under Yata Onseisai Noriaki, where as the Bartitsu site quoted above cites Mr. Kate as learning under Terajima Kunichiro a student of  Yata Onseisai. The same Yata Onseisai who passed the Ryu onto Mabuni Kenwa. Further more the article Legends of Karate: Mabuni Kenwa cites the Bugei Ryuha Daijiten as the source. This means whenever the Bujinkan points to Shinden Fudo Ryu in the Bugei Rayuha Daijiten they are in fact lying, claiming a lineage that is recognized and not associated with them. More interestingly so is the fact that according the  Bugei Rayuha Daijiten  in the article this branch of Shinden Fudo Ryu was originally called Shinden Jigan Ryu and then later renamed by Yata Noriyuki. However the citation also says the Ryu was founded by Yata Onseisai Noriaki. Which gets us back to the book; The Secrets of Shin Den Fudo Ryu, of which Izumo Kanja Yoshitero is not the author except of the Densho pictured there in, its lineage is separate from the Bujinkan Takamatsuden. Meaning that by all accounts lacking any substantial proof it seems Takamatsu invented this Ryu claiming himself Soke to an unknown branch of an estanblished Ryu.

This of course brings finally to Kukishinden Ryu, which is recognized as an of shoot of  Kukishin Ryu. However, Takamatsu did hold a Menkyo Kaiden (License of Full Transmission) in Kukishin Ryu but founded his own art of Kukishinden Ryu with a story about the Densho for Kukishin Ryu being burned up in a fire bombing of Japan during WW2. While there was a fire and some scroll cases were only singed the scrolls inside were not destroyed. Since the some of these densho were lost due to age but the scroll cases remained. More so, from the FAQ of the  Kukishinden Tenshin Hyoho Website:

"Q：On the Soke of Kukishin Ryu
A：Apart from our "Kukishinden Tenshinhyoho," there are other lineages of Kukishin Ryu, such as "Kukishinden Happo Hikenjutsu," "Tenshinhyoho Kukishin Ryu" and "Soden Kukishin Ryu," all of which regard Yakushimaru Ryushin as the founder of the school. There is also Kukishin Ryu Bojutsu technique instructed in Takagi Ryu. With hundreds of years having passed after the establishment of the school, it is not too much to say that each individual school of Kukishin Ryu has become independent, and there is no reason that they, who are not the direct descent of the Kukis, should not claim the Soke-ship any longer. We, however, respect the will of teachers including Iwami Nangaku, who established "Kodosenyokai Shobukyoku"; there will be no changes in our stance that Kuki Munetaka, direct descendant of the founder of the school, incumbent head of the Kuki family, should be the "one and only Soke." (http://www.shinjin.co.jp/kuki/hyoho/faq_e.htm the fifth question.)

Note: Kukishinden Happo Hikenjutsu is the Kukishinden of the Bujinkan lineage, and is not regarded as part of the true lineage of Kukishin Ryu. More so, the existence of the orgional Kuki scrolls is support by this statement (found at http://www.shinjin.co.jp/kuki/hyoho/image/keizu-kukishin_e.pdf) "Tanemura Shoto is the one who learned authentic Kukishin Ryu from Teacher Kimura in his late days and was awarded "Sodennomaki."" Shoden No Maki are densho that explain basic techniques of a school or style.

And what we find on the Kuki family site about Takamatsu is as follows.
"2. Variant texts of Tenshin-Hyoho-Shinken-Kakki-Ron, and Tenshin-Hyoho-Taijutsu-Kappo-Ron compiled by Takamatsu Chosui. Each text has two alternate versions. It is, however, hard to rule out the possibility that the compiler's own view is reflected on the content of the text, given that modern expressions are mostly used. We must add that all the manuscripts by him were transcribed on the premises of Kuki at Uenomaru in Akashi city in the Taisho period. In compliance with the wishes of Kuki Takaharu, Chosui compiled the documents and made a fair copy of them, and presented it to Takaharu (Amatsu-Tatara-Hibun-Kaidoku-Hen being one of the representative transcriptions). We respect for his credible achievement and great pains Chosui took, and there is no criticizing him for the possible alterations."
Note that, the Kuki family states that each densho has "Variant texts... compiled by Takamatsu Chosui. Each text has two alternate versions." thus without getting into specific detail we see that there were three densho created, one original and two alternative versions and goes on to add that "It is, however, hard to rule out the possibility that the compiler's own view is reflected on the content of the text, given that modern expressions are mostly used." So Takamatsu is noted to have used modern language and add some of his own views.

"With the contribution of Takamatsu Chosui and his master Ishitani Matsutaro who learned both schools of martial arts and gave support to the Soke Kuki before and after the War, the ties between Takagi Ryu and Kukishin Ryu have got much stronger..
Ishitani Matsutaro was born in Akashi, Hyogo prefecture. He was a son of Ishitani Takema Masatsugu, who was a teacher of Takagi Yoshin Ryu. Matsutaro left his house at the early stage of his life and studied under Iba Toyotaro, from whom he learned Kukishin Ryu. It goes without saying that he learned Takagi Ryu from his father. The techniques of Takagiyoshin Ryu were passed on to Sato Kinbei in Tokyo from Takamatsu Chosui, and now Tanemura Shoto instructs them in Tajima, Matsubushi cho, Kita Katsu gun, Saitama prefecture."

Now this is very important because it suggests that Takamatsu was a student of Ishitani Matsutaro came into association with the Kuki family and Kukishin Ryu through Ishitani Matsutaro. This of course legitimizes the Takamatsu-den claim to Takagi Yoshn Ryu but we don't know exactly were Takagi Yoshin Ryu split of from Honati Yoshin Ryu Takagi Ryu or if this is just an alternative name. It is my belief that Takagi Yoshin Ryu is a legitimate school.

"In addition to the Takagi Ryu of the Ishitani lineage, Teacher Tanemura learned several kinds of Takagi Ryu, among which is the Shitake lineage that is said to be the real techniques passed on by Yagi Ikugoro. Thus perfecting his techniques, we got an impression that Tanemura has learned virtually every aspect of the original form of Takagi Ryu.
　
For more information, Takagi Ryu has different lineages from the one mentioned above, such as the Takagi Ryu Takamatsu Chosui had learned from Mizuta Yoshitaro before Chosui learned from Ishitani Matsutara, and other Takagi Ryu handed down in Akou, Kobe regions."

This is an interesting statement because it addresses that Takamatsu learned different styles of Takagi Ryu from Mizuta Yoshitaro, Ishitani Matsutara and other schools in Akou, Kobe regions. This hints at the possibility that Takagi Yoshin Ryu is/was compiled by Takamatsu and is a modern school of Takamatsu's own devises. Perhaps of the multiple Takagi Ryu styles studied by Takamatsu (a more likely answer) he only became Soke of one such Ryu. This raises some interesting questions.

"According to Takamatsu Chosui, an anecdote regarding the relationship of Kukishin Ryu with Takagi Ryu goes as follows: "Because of the untimely death of Nagatonokami Moritaka's son Kuki Sadataka, who was supposed to be appointed head of Kukishin Ryu instead of the bed-ridden oldest son Yoshitaka, Kuki Kihei took over the position. Later on, he became a mountaineering ascetic and traveled across Japan. Kihei happened to meet Takagi Umanosuke's son Gennoshin in Akou, Hyogo prefecture and competed their skills. Takagi exceeded in Yawara(Taijutsu) and Kihei in Bojutsu. Jujutsu has been handed down as Takagi Ryu and Bojutsu, Spear, and Naginata techniques have been handed down as Kukishin Ryu."(Watatani Kiyoshi and Yamada Tadashi. Bugei Ryu-ha Daijiten Tokyo: Tokyo Copy )"

This is a quote of a quote, the Kuki family site quoting the Bugei Ryu-ha Daijiten, this is interesting as the Kuki family neither confirms nor denies the story of how Takagi Yoshin Ryu and Kukishin Ryu are connected. They merely cite the Bugei Ryu-ha Daijiten which credits this relationship with Takamatsu. The Kuki family is very quiet on the subject of Takamatsu and has in the past been harassed by members of the Bujinkan concerning Takamatsu. Certainly, if Takamatsu invented Takagi Yoshin Ryu from three other Takagi Ryu-ha that he did study, claiming it to be part of the Kukishin Ryu through some long elaborate history would serve to imply a greater (older) lineage then just something he created.

One might ask why would Takamatsu weave such an elaborate web of lies, if that is what they were, to not only invent one school but nine? Certainly, claiming Gyokko Ryu & Koto Ryu became part of Togakure Ryu would allow Takamatsu to pronounce various elements of his martial philosophy as separate schools of though entirely. Furthermore, we see the same thing with the three "ninjutsu ryu." By claiming that Gyokushin Ryu, as a Kishu domain art (the home of Natori Ryu) where it came in contact with Togakure Ryu, Takamatsu could use the Shoninki written in 1683 by Natori Masatake and claim it resembled the Kishu Ryu Ninjutsu style because it was connected to a Kishu Ryu style. Interestingly enough Gyokushin Ryu was founded by same man who founded Gyokko Ryu. Kumogakure Ryu uses the same Taijutsu as Togakure Ryu (which includes Gyokko Ryu, Koto Ryu & Gyokushin Ryu) Kumogakure Ryu is not even defined as a full school but as "It has been said that this ryu was really created by the Toda family, in the 1600's as a Ninjutsu school of thought, centering its techniques on the non-violent side of Ninjutsu. The Togakure Ryu teaches that violence is to be avoided. This would also explain why the school's taijutsu is similar to the Togakure Ryu, as the Toda were also Sokes of the Togakure Ryu." from BudoTaijutsu.com. So Kumogakure Ryu is an idea of the application of ninjutsu (following the School of Thought definition) tat stems off from Togakure Ryu. This in itself means that 5 schools/ryuha are in fact a single school Togakure Ryu.

Now if you are lying and spread you lie among 5 sources, with each one claiming to be unique & separate causes one seeking the truth to research several different areas and elements of history to find the truth. So that the answer to the question, why would Takamatsu weave such an elaborate web of lies? To better muddy the waters of truth conceal his falsehoods among scattered bits of truth found throughout history. This certainly seen with the Kuki family's statement about Kukishinden Ryu Happo Hikenjutsulisted among other off shoots of schools claiming a lineage to the Kuki family.

Add to this the Shinden Fudo Ryu Kenpo/Jujutsu art which claims its founder as  Izumo Kanja Yoshitero but maintains a completely separate lineage from the Bujinkan Takamatsu-den, this was an art that popular at the time and was taught openly (including non-Japanese such as Mr. Barton-Wright and Mr. Kate circa 1896.) With Takamatsu claiming to have learned Gikan Ryu from Ishitani Matsutaro after his death, with the Makimono containing only a technique list and claiming to be a secret art taught only orally. Ishitani Matsutaro who the Kuki family stated "Matsutaro left his house at the early stage of his life and studied under Iba Toyotaro, from whom he learned Kukishin Ryu. It goes without saying that he learned Takagi Ryu from his father." clearly the association of Kukishin and Takagi Yoshin Ryu comes from Ishitai Matsutaro and his training in Kukishin Ryu under Iba Toyotaro. So only Takagi Yoshin Ryu is supported by a third party independent of the Bujinkan to Takamatsu's credit, with the Kuki family awardig Takamatu a Menkyo Kaiden however they do not feel Takamatsu is heir to the Kuki family art and certainly not qualified to call himself a Soke of their name sake Ryu-ha.

Certainly Hatsumi and the Bujinkan has made a great deal of money off teaching Budo/Ninpo Taijutsu and claiming to have a combat proven koryu art form. This is a major marketing line here in the West but only 1 of the nine ryu-ha Takagi Yoshin Ryu has any kind of supporting evidence and verification by a third party independent of the Bujinkan. So I leave you to examine the evidence and decide for yourself, is the Bujinkan Takamatsu-den a legitimate collection of Koryu arts or a corporation selling Westerners a Warrior Ninja Fantasy? I'm betting the Latter but, that is me...







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